Method for coating cores



June 12, 1928. 1,672,973 I H. F. ALBRIGHT METHOD FOR COATING CORES Filed Feb. 5, 1923 Jwgwu@ Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY FLEETWOOD ALBRIGHT, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN' ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW Yonx,

METHOD FOR COATING CORES.

Application led February 3, 1923. Serial No. 616,662.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for coating (sores.

'I'he object of the invention is to produce a core having a continuous, uniform, and homogeneous coating of fibrous material.

Briefly, the method consists in moistening a strip or strips of paper or othersuitable fibrous material, pressing the wet strip or strips upon the core to be coated, forming the deposited material while still moist around the core so that it constitutes a smooth, continuous and homogeneous coating therefor, and then removing substantiallyv all of the moisture from said coating.

The present method may be employed to advantage for insulating electrical conductors but it is to be understood that it is not limited to this purpose, but only in so far as is defined by the appended claims. Where the method is used for insulating electrical conductors, paper or other fibrous material made from manila, wood, rag, cotton, esparto, jute, hemp, and asbestos may be employed as the coating material, but other materials than those specified may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The drawings illustrate an apparatus by which the method may be practiced, the apparatus being especially designed for coating a core in strand form, but it is to be A understood that other apparatus may be devised for coating cores in other forms without departing from .the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the 'accompanying drawino's:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation o? a preferred apparatus for performing the process;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the appara-tus shown in Fig. 1, an l' Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are enlargedvertical sectional views showing the constructionof the coating upon its delivery from the squeezin rolls, during the forming operation, an after the forming operation is completed respectively.

The steps of the method will be readily understood from a detailed description of the apparatus by which the method may be practiced.

Referring to the drawings in detail in -which like referencel numerals designate similar parts, the core to be coated is fed co-pending from a supply 20 over an idler roll 21 and thence between a pair of squeeze rolls 22,v

the supply spool 2O and rolls 21 and 22 being suitably supported upon a framework 23 which supports all of the elements of the apparatus. Two reels 24 and 25, each containing'a supply of paper or other suitable fibrous material in strip forni, are supported by the framework 23 and disposed between the rolls 21 and 22. The reel 24 is mounted above the core to he coated and the reel 25 supported below the said core, so that when the paper strips are drawn from these rolls between the squeeze rolls 22, the strips will be positioned upon diametrically opposite sides of the core. The rolls 22 serve to squeeze the two strips of paper and core into close contact.

From the squeeze rolls 22 the core and paper strips are passed around rolls 26 and 27 submerged in a moistening fiuid within a tank 28 or other suitable receptacle carried by the framework 23. The moistening fluid contained within the tank 28 is preferably water, but other fluids may be employed, either of an adhesive or non-adhesivel nature, and either waterproofing or non-waterproofing in character, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The strips of paper in passing through the water are moistened suiiiciently to soften the fibers of the paper so that when 'the strips are passed between squeeze rolls 29 the fibers in each of the paper strips are felted together to some extent so that they form an envelope enclosing the conductor, as shown in Fig. 3. The squeeze rolls 29 also serve to remove the surplus moisture from the moistened paper strips.

From the squeeze rolls 29 the core with its envelope covering is passed through a forming mechanism 30. The mechanism shown is identical with the forming mechanism fully illustrated and described in a application of Valker and March, Serial No. 547,923, filed March 29, 1922, and for a detailed disclosure of the construction of this mechanism reference is made to the application above noted. The forming mechanism wraps the projecting edgesl of the ribbons around the core and around each other, the appearance of the coating after it is first acted on by the forming mechanism and after the forming action is completed being clearly shown in Figa 4 and 5. The ormer causes an intermingling of the softened or somewhat adhesive fibers so that a substantially homogeneous coating is produced which conforms to the shape of the core.

The core with the formed coating is drawn from the forming vmechanism and subjected to a mechanism for thoroughly drying out. the coating.V This means shown for performing this step in the process are a pair of wide hollow drums 31 and 32 internally heated and havin a plurality of grooves 33 formed thereon (Iliig. 2) which receive the coated core` guides (not shown) being provided for directing the core over first one drum and then the other until it has traversed all of the' grooves of both drums, after which it is stored on a storage reel 34.

The storage reel 34, drums 31 and 32, forming mechanism 30, and squeeze rolls 29 are all connected with a suitable source Aof power for actuating them to feed the core to be coated from the supply reel 2O through the various mechanisms above described and onto the storage reel 34.

In the mechanism shown in the drawings means is provided for coating a single core, but vit is to be understood that by. dupli eating the various elements ofthe mechanism a plurality of cores may bel accommodated. Where it is desired to coat a plurality of cores simultaneously the reels 24 and may be designed to accommodate' nemers wide strips of pa r which maybe subse- 35 quently slit into ri bons associated with each core. Any suitable slitting mechanism may be employed located at any suitable point, as foi-'instance prior to or subsequent to the passage of the papel' through the xnoistening tank 28. I

What is claimed is:

1. A method of coating a core in strand form, which consists in applyin a strip of paper to a core to be coated, app ying water to the strip ot' paper, and wrapping the strip around the core and intermingling, t'elting and matting the bers of saidpaper so' that it constitutes a continuous and homogeneous coating therefor which is retained thereon solely by the intermingling, felting and matting of the fibers.

2. A method of coating a core in strandA form, which .consists in applying a strip of paper to a core to be coated, applying Water to the strip of paper, wrapping the strip around the core and intermingling, felting and matting the fibers ot' said paper so that it constitutes a continuous and homogeneous coating therefor which is retained thereon solely by the intermingling, felting and matting of the fibers, and then drying the core and its paper coating.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day-of January,` A. D.,

HENRY FLEETWOOD ALBRIGHT. 

